OUR LADY OF ZOCUECA

 Day 71: Jul 20



It is assumed that the image of Our Lady of Zocueca has been moved from its original location. Its cult is connected to the large and powerful city of Oreto, during the Visigoth domination, between 320-330 AD.

With the invasion of Spain by Muslims in 713, the entire Hispano-Visigothic organization disappeared and, with it, the Bishop of Oreto. Some of the inhabitants of Oreto flee, while others decided to remain under Muslim rule, which respects their language, customs and religion in exchange for certain taxes. These “Mozarabes” Christians continue to venerate the Virgin Mary during the Muslim period.

What remained of the old and illustrious city was given the Arabic name “Zuqueca”, which means “place of ruins”, a term that for centuries will remain bound with the name of Mary. The Mozarabic Christians, with great sacrifices since they were poor people, and thanks to the donations collected with the indulgences issued by Pope Sixtus IV, were able to build up the present existing temple in 1632

Francisco de Mora, Bailen’s Deputy Parish Priest, said that this image was certainly created by Saint Luke with cedar wood. In August 1936, the Civil War began and the sacred image of the Virgin of Zocueca was ruined by an ax. After the war, Mrs. Dolores Sanmartin Ochoa donated a new image of Our Lady, located today in the Sanctuary of El Rumblar.

The current image is the work of the sculptor José María Alcacer, who managed to reproduce a perfect and faithful copy of the original. The size is small, about 50 cm. Five precious dresses were donated to the Virgin, one of which, red, was given by Isabella II, while the Duke of Bailen made one of white velvet with gold embroidery.

The origin of the Zocueca Sanctuary dates back to the medieval period. The original sanctuary was renovated in the 15th century, but the current building was completed only in the 17th century. The coronation feast is celebrated every July 20.

This tradition derives from the year 1681, when due to a cholera epidemic the devotees of the Virgin of Zocueca raised prayers and supplications to be freed from the evil that devastated the entire region, proposing as a vow also a fast on the day before the feast. This vow was made on one’s knees with the hands on the Gospels, starting with the Mayor and his wife.


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"Oh How I wish and want to know, with your mind, the Lord God, in His Persons, in His Church, in every soul; I wish and desire to love Him with your heart; I wish and desire to serve Him with your life; and unite myself to Him with the relationship of Spouse of the Trinity; may this relationship of Spouse of the Trinity be for me, as it was for you, the relationship of Mother of God!."

(Spirit of Prayer, trans. Louis Caputo, Newark, Vocationist Fathers, 1996, pp. 144 & 145)

Comments

Post a Comment

Hot Picks

OUR LADY OF MELIAPORE

Image
Day 47: June 26 This is the shrine in the East Indies, where Saint Francis Xavier often retired to pray during his eleven years with the people of India. The Blessed Virgin Mary was Francis’ constant source of strength and inspiration. The image before which Saint Francis used to pray is called Mylai Matha in Tamil, or Our Lady of Mylapore in English. It is an ancient statue about three feet tall, Our Lady of Meliapore can still be venerated at the church. The church of Saint Thomas of Mylapore – spelled somewhat differently from the above – contains Mary’s shrine. According to tradition, the Apostle Saint Thomas came to India in 52 AD. Due to his success making converts to the True Faith, he was persecuted and finally martyred in the year 72 AD. Saint Thomas is buried at the shrine of Our Lady of Meliapore, and there are relics of Saint Francis Xavier. There was a church known to be in Mylapore going back to the 1st century, and built by St Thomas. According to tradition, there was a ...
Read more

Marian Year 2025-26

Image
  MARIAN YEAR The year 2026 marks the first centenary of the apparition of Our Lady to St Justin Russolillo, the Founder of the Vocationists. As the feast of Our Lady of Divine Vocations falls on May 11, the year preceding to that year (May 11 2025 – May 11 2026) has been declared to be celebrated as Marian Year by the Vocationists. The reason behind this year-long celebration is, as Pope Pius XII decreed prior to the Marian Year in 1953 on the occasion of the first centenary of the definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mother, “that the faith of the people may be increased and their devotion to the Virgin Mother of God become daily more inflamed.” As Rev. Fr. Louis Caputo SDV rightly points out, “the life of Fr. Justin here on earth began with the…apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary…, it developed in the shadow of Mary and ended in union with Mary.” The birth of Justin was preceded by an announcement by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Fr. Sa...
Read more

OUR LADY OF DIVINE VOCATIONS

Image
The Devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations The devotion to Our Lady of Divine Vocations has its foundation on the Marian Apparition that St Justin Russolillo had on May 10, 1926. He was praying breviary near a hut made of straws called pagliarella. St. Justin describes it in his diary (Book of the Soul) "May 10, 1926, first day of the Rogations. It was given to me the certainty that the Blessed Trinity has given the Blessed Lady the Office of the Immediate Superior of the Society of Divine Vocations and therefore of all the offices, mansions, studies, works, spheres and everything. She is the authority of the Society. Glory and thanks to God and Mary. Therefore, the established practice of having one person always present and on guard in the room dedicated to Our Lady to honor and venerate her perpetually." After the Marian Apparition, St Justin rushed to the rectory of St George's parish in Pianura where he used to be the parish priest. He asked Fr Luigi Diodato to pre...
Read more